Module 1. What is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health? In short, ICF. Hello, how are you?
We are fine, thank you. How are you? We're good too. Paul has cerebral palsy. He has difficulty walking by himself.
I am not sure what I can do for managing his cerebral palsy. I see. Sara also has cerebral palsy and has difficulty walking by herself and talking. I also have questions about managing her cerebral palsy.
Let us consult the doctor together. Hello, what brings you all here today? Hello doctor, as you know Sarah has cerebral palsy. We were wondering about the treatment options for Sarah and what can we do to manage her cerebral palsy.
So are we, but Paul... Sarah have different abilities and needs. We are also wondering what therapy they would need.
Will it be different for each of them? You are right. Every child and family with cerebral palsy is unique and has different abilities and needs. Treatments or therapies that work for one child in one situation may not be the right thing for the other children or in any other situation. To help kids function well in day-to-day life, it is important that families and healthcare providers, like us, understand a child's unique strengths and challenges and focus on these in therapies.
Successful intervention in cerebral palsy needs collaboration with healthcare professionals, family, and the community services. Our ultimate goal is to enable children to grow and develop to their best capacity. regardless of how they do things. There are so many things that influence therapy and Sara's progress.
How do I understand what to do for my child's management? Let us go a little back in time. In 2001, the World Health Organization designed an approach to health that aims to identify and understand each child and family's unique functional abilities and needs.
It is called the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. or the ICF in short. The ICF divides a health condition, for example, in your child's case, cerebral palsy, into three interconnected parts.
These parts are connected in such a way that, if you influence one part, all the other parts change to adjust. First, the body structure and function, which explains how body parts work. Second, the activity and participation, which explain what people do, and how they engage with the world. And third, the contextual factors, which include environmental and personal factors that help people function. So using the ICF approach to view your child's health might help you to understand your child's strengths and challenges and see a broader picture of your child's development, communicate and advocate better about your child's functional needs to the healthcare professionals and community, and make informed decisions.
and engage actively in your child's healthcare. I will discuss each one of them individually to help you understand better.